Russia is building its first stealth naval warship that will be fully equipped with stealth technology making it hard to detect it by enemy vessels. This was reported by the Russian media on June 8, 2021.
The full stealth warship, Mercury naval corvette, has been hit with delays but it is expected to be delivered to the Russian navy by next year.
The building of the vessel has been called Project 20386.
How far along has the project reached?
The hull of the corvette is reported to have been completed. The vessel is expected to be ready for delivery next year.
Special features of Russia's stealth warship:• Mercury will be Russia’s first fully stealth vessel. • It is expected to be armed with cruise missiles and anti-aircraft missiles and artillery. • It will be capable of searching for and destroying submarines. • Its high-end stealth capabilities will help it evade the enemy's eye. • It will also have a radar-absorbing coating and a special shape to minimise protrusions and crevices on its surface. • Various composite materials and special paint are expected to be used in its making. |
Significance
• Project 20386 is extremely significant for Russia at the current times, as its political ties with the West are at their worst since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
• Russia has been investing heavily in its army and navy in recent years, as a part of a push by President Vladimir Putin to revamp the military. The nation has incorporated stealth technology such as a radar-absorbing coating into some of its navy vessels, but the ships do not have full stealth technology.
• However, some of Russia's efforts to revamp the military have been affected by Western sanctions imposed due to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. The United States has ever since banned exports of dual-use technology to Russia.
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